Posts tagged City Manager
City appoints community group, launches plan to restore facilities
May 2nd
The city is following a multi-year plan to finance and complete needed repairs to city facilities, and the city manager today appointed a 16-member community stakeholder group to advise the City Council and staff on priority projects.
“Tough economic times forced the city to defer maintenance in order to provide important community services,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “As a result, many of our buildings, parks, roads and other facilities require significant attention to avoid much higher costs later.”
Brautigam explained that the city plans to initiate needed maintenance and repairs over the next several years. The first phase includes using existing city revenue to finance accelerated work to fix significant deficiencies that could pose health and safety risks if left undone. Currently, the city has over $60 million in unfunded significant deficiencies and approximately $150 million in unfunded high-priority projects.
Boulder said it has the funds to finance some of those projects next year without raising taxes. Bonds supported by existing revenues could be issued to pay for up to approximately $60 million in repairs in capital improvement projects.
To help determine which projects should receive immediate attention, Brautigam appointed a 16-member Capital Investment Strategy stakeholder group to advise staff and City Council about how to prioritize maintenance and repair projects.
“This is a community issue that requires input from a cross-section of our city,” said Brautigam. “We’re looking at this project through the perspective of businesspeople, students, parents, renters, homeowners, board and commission members, as well as nonprofit organizations to ensure our priority list reflects community needs.”
The 16-member Capital Investment Strategy stakeholder group will review the projects and advise council on which maintenance and repair efforts should be included in this first phase using existing dollars. It also will make recommendations about how to effectively invest in Boulder’s capital improvement program for the next several years to ensure the city can catch up and sustain a maintenance and improvement program.
The following individuals were appointed to the Capital Investment Strategy Stakeholder group from a pool of nearly 50 applicants:
Leslie Brown
Natalie (Tally) Costa
Steve Fenberg
Nino Gallo
Cynthia Huseck
Dan King
Michael Kruteck
Kristin Macdonald
Victoria Marschner
Miriam McGilvary
Michael Minard
Bill Shrum
Max Taffet
Leonard Thomas
Bob Yates
Jessica Yates
Dan King, owner of the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, has agreed to serve as chair of the stakeholder group. For more information about Boulder’s capital improvement program, visit www.bouldercolorado.gov/cip.
City Manager approves business incentive for Covidien
Dec 17th
City Manager Jane S. Brautigam has approved a flexible rebate application for Boulder-based Covidien for up to $75,000 in rebates. The rebates were authorized for sales and use taxes, and development review and permit related fees.
The flexible rebate program is one of the city’s business incentives, first approved by the City Council in September 2006. The rebate incentive covers a wide range of fees, equipment and construction use taxes
“Covidien would like to thank City Manager Jane Brautigam for approving the rebates for our new innovation center,” said Marta Newhart, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at Covidien. “The new facility will help to foster Covidien’s culture of innovation, accelerate new product time-to-market and will also be used for enhanced staff training and development.”
Covidien (formerly Valleylab) was founded more than 40 years ago in Boulder with a 26-acre campus that serves as headquarters for two Global Business Units: Energy-based Devices and Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions. With more than 1,500 employees, the company manufactures medical devices and supplies, diagnostic imaging agents and produces devices and instruments that provide industry-leading solutions in electrosurgery, vessel sealing and interventional oncology. In September, the Planning Board approved a Site Review Amendment application for Covidien to build a new 66,000 square foot building and a new parking structure.
“The City of Boulder is proud to have been the home of Covidien for more than 40 years,” said City Manager Jane S. Brautigam. “The city is very pleased that Boulder’s second largest private employer plans to expand its Gunbarrel campus to continue to develop and manufacture its innovative, world class medical devices and healthcare products.”
The 2010 flexible rebate program uses social, community, and environmental sustainability guidelines. Companies may choose the guidelines that best fit their company, but they must meet minimum requirements in order to receive the rebate. Covidien has significantly exceeded the minimum community sustainability guidelines. In addition to meeting the guidelines related to average wage, health insurance, diversity support, and non-profit support, Covidien provides housing assistance for relocating employees who are purchasing a home in Boulder. Covidien makes broad efforts to reduce its impact on the environment, from financial assistance for bus passes to becoming a zero waste facility. Also of note, the proposed new Building 7, has been designed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Funds from the requested rebate will be used for more energy saving features.